Until We Fall
by MakoHeadrush
Summary: It's Cloud's last chance to make it into SOLDIER after failing the entrance exam twice. Will he make it in and be able to live his dream to serve under his idol Sephiroth's command? Or will Cloud's hopes be dashed after an unfortunate incident in the VR training room. Rated T to start, rating may change later on to M depending upon the content of subsequent chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Usual disclaimer: Don't own the characters, Square Enix does. I do not profit from this work. Any song lyrics quoted within are credited to the artist.**

* * *

_What do you feel before you think?  
What do you see before you blink?  
Who do you battle in your dreams?  
Who strokes your feathers 'til you scream?_

_And when I'm tired of feeling black  
Spread the wings upon your back  
Take us high above it all  
And stroke your feathers 'til we fall  
Until we fall, until we fall back down again_

**"Until We Fall" - Audioslave**

* * *

"Are the candidates ready for the simulator?" Sephiroth murmured, one silvery brow lofted in inquiry toward Angeal. He squinted through the glass partition, comforted somewhat by the thought that the cadets could not see him, but Sephiroth could see all. Previous drills without the benefit of the two-way mirror had been somewhat disastrous; cadets falling over each other trying to impress the great General Sephiroth in their quest to pass the exams and be rated well enough to become SOLDIER. Today's test, if passed, would place the cadets as Third Class. The vibe in the training room was one of raw nerves and energy, along with some well-concealed panic.

With last year's recruits, it seemed that many of them had not recalled one bit of their training from boot camp once they set foot in the VR training room…and all because of the presence of one man - the famous general Sephiroth, hero of the Wutai war which was still ongoing.

Sephiroth had never sought military fame; it had been thrust upon him, the brainchild of President Shinra's well-oiled public relations machine. Though his military victories had been well fought and won by Sephiroth and his fellow Firsts, it was Sephiroth who became the poster child for Shinra's military academy; a fate he accepted with much trepidation.

Angeal nodded affirmatively at Sephiroth's query and gave a wry grin. "As ready as they'll ever be," he replied. "You have the roster?"

"I have it, "Sephiroth waved it in front of Angeal's face, nearly clipping him at the end of his nose with the document. He smiled serenely yet wickedly at him.

"Humph," Angeal grunted. "You need a vacation, I'd say. Getting punchy, are you, Sephiroth?"

"And where is your counterpart?" Sephiroth ignored Angeal's editorial comments. He knew he needed to unwind, Angeal was right. If the truth were to be told, Sephiroth had never allowed himself to have a vacation. Ever. Even Hojo had intimated that a week off might do the general some good, and Lazard had mentioned it more than once during Sephiroth's evaluations, stressing the need for 'time off from being General Sephiroth.'

"Genesis is crashing the dress rehearsal of Loveless," Angeal replied evenly. "It's his day off today, you know."

Sephiroth frowned. "And who authorized that? We have a SOLDIER exam to administer here, I need all hands on deck- "

"It won't be a problem, Sephiroth, honestly. Lazard authorized the time off for Genesis," Angeal assured the general. "And besides – Zack will be helping us evaluate this latest bunch." As if on cue, Zack entered the anteroom –and, Sephiroth noted wryly, with the usual amount of noise and clamor, knocking into Angeal's rack of swords that he'd brought in for the cadets. Looking out into the training room, Sephiroth saw the heads of several cadets whip around sharply upon hearing the noise.

"Hey guys!" Zack's voice was chirpy and energetic. Sephiroth groaned inwardly; it was too early to deal with the cheery 'Puppy', as Angeal had christened the over-enthusiastic First. "Damn. Let me pick these up - "

"Zackary," Sephiroth greeted him with a slight nod, trying to ignore the cacophony of clanging metal as Zack replaced the swords in their rack "Angeal tells me you are to assist us with testing today, seeing as Genesis is...otherwise indisposed."

"Huh...is Genesis sick or something?'' Zack inquired, cocking his head to the side in a quizzical manner. Angeal laughed and clapped a hand over Zack's shoulders.

"No, he's at the play," Angeal replied. "But no matter. The three of us should be able to work together and assess this fine lot of cadets, hmm?"

"That's what I'm here for!" Zack grinned broadly. "So, Sephiroth...who do we have this year?" he inquired, peering over the general's shoulder.

Sephiroth gave Zack a _look_ as if to say 'you are invading my personal space.' Of course, the glare was lost on Zack, his eyes busily scanning the list of names. "Oh, so Strife's back again this year, huh? Looks like it's his last chance."

"Strife? ...I know that name..." Sephiroth murmured, eyes scanning the list of a dozen names. "Ah, yes. _Cloud _Strife, of Nibelheim. I do remember him. ..he has sat for this exam before." Sephiroth's mind quickly traveled back to the last two SOLDIER exams he'd proctored; nearly back-to-back, and Cloud stuck out in his memory not only for the fact that he'd failed both tests, but also for the ridiculous tower of blond spikes atop his head. Sephiroth wondered why anyone would bother attempting the examination

"He sure has," Zack agreed, nodding. "Twice. This is his third and last try. Three strikes and you're out!"

"He's certainly determined. Many don't bother retaking the test after failing twice." Angeal observed the blond cadet through the window. "Look, Sephiroth - he's right there." Angeal pointed out Cloud through the glass, and Sephiroth nodded.

"Yes, I know which one he is, Angeal," Sephiroth smiled. "I've had my eye on him for quite some time." The smile grew deeper, and did not go unnoticed by Angeal.

"Something on your mind, Sephiroth?" Angeal probed, arching an eyebrow. It was curious, Angeal thought; Sephiroth never took much notice of any of the cadets in particular. After all, it wasn't as if any of them had ever been able to crack any of Sephiroth's standing records for attacking, casting and summoning, or defense. The famous general would often shrug whenever his standing records were mentioned - which was fairly often by Genesis, whose competitive streak was nearly as big as his ego. Sephiroth never strove to be the best; he simply _was_. That knowledge alone was one thing that threw off the confidence of many a SOLDIER hopeful through the years. Being in the same room with _the_ Sephiroth, Silver Demon of Wutai, did not do much for a lowly cadet's nerves before taking a major test that would determine their entire military future.

"Nothing in particular," Sephiroth replied hastily to Angeal's vague yet probing inquiry. His gaze lingered a bit longer before breaking away, and his countenance was thoughtful.

"Well...I did notice, that Cloud has filled out since the last exam. Considerably," Sephiroth emphasized. His eyes traveled up and down the compact, well-muscled frame; it appeared to Sephiroth that Cloud had put on quite a bit of weight, much of it muscle. He began to wonder what accounted for this drastic change in just a few months' time. "He appeared to be a bit of a runt during his last two SOLDIER exams," Sephiroth noted. The observation might have sounded cruel to an outsider, but Sephiroth was merely remarking upon the noticeable change in Cloud's musculature.

"Oh, I bet he's on that new Mako protocol," Zack interjected. "Looks like you recommended it during his last test, Sephiroth - that is your signature right there, isn't it?" Zack asked Sephiroth, pointing to a notation on the notes from the last SOLDIER exam.

"It is indeed," Sephiroth nodded, glancing at his elegant scrawl. "But it wasn't my recommendation, per se - look here, I only ticked the checkbox for failing candidates. 'If candidate failed SOLDIER test: check here. Failures may be referred to Hojo for Mako protocol.' It's just a standard response, Zack; I don't make recommendations for Mako supplementation. That's Hojo's department."

"I guess," Zack said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm betting he had the injections, though, most of the noobs have started already. I know Cloud has been training too, and hard. Kid's in the gym every damned day lately."

"Hmm," Sephiroth murmured. "The results have certainly paid off," he added, mostly to himself. Cloud had gone from a skinny teen barely able to wield the heft of a training sword, to one that was, at present, twirling a sword four times that size over his head with ease. The other recruits were an assortment of body types and personalities, but Cloud's was the one that stuck in Sephiroth's mind the most. _Must be the bizarre hairstyle that made him stand out_, Sephiroth mused, allowing himself a tiny smile.

"So is this the same Mako protocol they're administering to us?" He felt a mild bit of alarm at the possibility; Sephiroth had been on Mako injections and infusions ever since he could remember; it was clear to the general that he'd built up a tolerance, just as Zack, Angeal, and Genesis and the other Firsts had done as well.

"A watered-down version, is what I've heard," Angeal replied. "Don't worry; the starting dosage is much lower than anything we get in SOLDIER. Or so says Hojo."

"So he says," Sephiroth echoed, a low growl of displeasure in his throat. It had barely been two weeks since the last blow-out between Sephiroth and the professor, who was starting to feel like a Svengali to the general more so than the mentor he'd purported himself to be all these years.

Sephiroth shook his head, as though trying to forcefully dispel those unpleasant thoughts from his mind, and turned to the task at hand.

"Well, Angeal, let's get them started hmm?" Sephiroth looked to the eldest First knowingly.

"You don't want to address them first, Sephiroth?" Angeal was surprised at this, but was not unwilling to be the first to speak. Protocol had it that the most senior ranking SOLDIER would be the first one to speak, but he figured Sephiroth must have his reasons for wanting him to speak.

"I don't want them to know that I'm here," Sephiroth reminded Angeal, tapping the bridge of his nose with his finger, smiling. "Remember last time, that was somewhat a disaster. And, they could see in this room then, too."

"Everyone trying to impress the great Sephiroth," Angeal teased. "It's fine. I'll have them start, then." He gave Zack a mock-withering glare.

"And not a peep out of you, Puppy," Angeal cautioned. He held up his hand as Zack immediately opened his mouth to protest.

"Not. One. Peep!" Angeal declared. Sephiroth stifled a laugh at the indignant look upon Zack's face.

"What the hell. I didn't even _say _anything!" Zack hissed at Sephiroth, who chuckled softly.

"Not _yet_, anyway," Sephiroth deadpanned. He studied the group of SOLDIER candidates as Angeal addressed them, explaining the different components of the examination. All were preparing in the usual manner one does before a test of physical endurance, stretching, doing squats, and running in place; and all there were taking the test for the first time, save for Cloud.

To the observer, Cloud would appear to be cool, poised and confident as he ran through a battery of sword techniques with the practice sword. Inwardly, Cloud felt his innards unraveling like a pile of cold noodles dumped from a serving bowl. He started at the sound of Angeal Hewley's voice over the intercom, and then relaxed as the Banoran's gentle baritone soothed him much like a balm.

It had been a good thing indeed that Sephiroth had opted out of speaking to the cadets until after the examination had concluded - otherwise, more than one would have failed near the start of the test due to sheer nerves. Cloud, along with his fellow candidates, was much like any young teen who hailed from a backwater town in the middle of nowhere and was looking for a way out. Nibelheim was a place where the main pastime of the town's youth was harassing the youngest, the smallest, or the weakest of their peers. It was only when Sephiroth's face appeared on a recruitment poster in glossy full color in the village post office one day that Cloud began to see something else in his future besides being a punching bag for bullies.

Some who signed up with the recruiting officer right away were bullies themselves, wanting to become bigger and badder than they supposed themselves to already be. Others were like Cloud, wanting to build endurance, to become stronger, more adept at fighting. There was, of course, an unspoken mantra of _'I'll show them someday'_ that was a constant refrain in Cloud's mind any time he was being mocked or pummeled.

He remembered the day he'd signed up; fed up, head still dripping wet from being plunged into the school toilet by some ignorant bully who wanted to give Cloud "swirlies" - yet another pastime of the small-minded hoodlums of Nibelheim.

The other refrain that sounded at the edges of Cloud's brain was: _Never again_. The Shinra Military Wants You! poster was the panacea to every one of Cloud's problems that day, and he'd seized upon the opportunity before he chickened out, marching over to the recruiter's office that very day.

_Bet nobody ever gave Sephiroth swirlies_, Cloud thought as he signed his life away on the small, thick stack of papers presented to him by the recruitment officer. _Nobody would ever dare do that to Sephiroth. I want to be like that, some day. To be someone people look up to...to be the strong one._

Cloud felt a pang of disappointment not seeing Sephiroth anywhere in the VR room; the reflective was new since the last two exams. Those last two exams, Cloud had stared straight at the general, and when those eyes stared back at him - those odd, exotic eyes that were could shift from reptilian green one moment to dazzling aqua the next - the young cadet had lost all his nerve, and flubbed the exam, dropping his sword like a nerve-addled debutante, and fell into a carnivorous pitcher plant in the VR simulation.

_I can't see him, and we didn't hear him on the PA, but I'm sure he's here,_ Cloud told himself._ I won't fail this time, Sephiroth,_ he silently promised his hero. Cloud stared straight at the spot where he imagined Sephiroth would be standing, behind the glass. He stared hard, and then pulled the visor of the VR helmet down over his eyes, obscuring his vision. As the visor slid down, Sephiroth stared back into those brilliant blue eyes. He wondered briefly if they'd always been such a beautiful shade of blue, or was this the result of the new Mako protocol.

_No_, Sephiroth thought. _No, they were just as blue the last time I saw him. I remember...I remember you, Cloud. Tenacious Cloud Strife of Nibelheim, who wouldn't back down, even when he knew he'd failed._

"First part of testing for SOLDIER begins now," Zack announced over the PA. "Are the recruits ready?" He would be monitoring the VR simulator, adding enhancements and throwing in additional foes and obstacles to the landscape as need to up the level of difficulty.

"I'm ready," Cloud announced to nobody in particular, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the unreality of the VR simulator. He saw his fellow cadets milling about around him as the artificial scenery materialized around them; they were in the ancient forest, and Cloud nearly laughed for joy.

He knew this training scenario and knew it well; it was the one they'd used on the first exam he failed, and had come back to the VR room to practice the scenario over and over, trying to improve. _A Big eater plant. I fell into a goddamned carnivorous plant he first time because I was too busy staring at Sephiroth, wanting to impress him. At least I never make the same mistake twice. I've got this...I've got this_, he told himself firmly, hands gripping the handle of the sword as he settled into a defensive stance, half-crouching, one foot back, the other serving as his pivot. Nerves and adrenaline combined to heighten his sense of readiness; he and the other cadets were fairly bouncing on the balls of their feet, ready to launch into the VR simulation.

_Avoid the carnivorous plants, and use the pitcher plants to your advantage,_ Cloud told himself, formulating a mental plan of attack. _Stay alert; attacks can come from any direction, including the air._ Although this was a mere simulation and not the real deal, the obstacles and foes were configured to deliver some very real status effects if the cadets were careless.

"There will also be a bonus round," Zack announced. "For the one cadet who is lucky enough to figure out a way over the carnivorous Big Eaters, you will be rewarded with a special materia. Begin!"

"Sweet! I can always use more materia" Another cadet – Gregor, a young man who hailed from Cosmo Canyon - chortled at Zack's announcement of the bonus round, poking at the plant with the tip of his sword. The plant's fly-trap jaws snapped shut, nearly taking the sword with it.

"I don't get it," Gregor muttered, disappointed. "It'll eat anything that goes near it. How are we supposed to find a way over it?"

"Yeah, they eat everything…. including cadets, so you'd better watch your ass. Trust me...I speak from experience!" Cloud shouted back, ducking and rolling as a flying Zephyr dive-bombed him, shooting a bolt spell out of its one eye. Cloud countered by casting an water-based spell using his prized enemy skill materia - something that was not standard Shinra issue, but materia that Cloud had picked up in a successful hand of seven-card stud.

"Excellent," Sephiroth murmured, then frowned. "Wait. Is he supposed to have Enemy Skill materia? That's not standard issue for the first-years."

"It's not against any of the regs," Angeal announced with a shrug of the shoulders. "Low level materia is allowed at test level, and students may use their own, so long as it's not mastered."

"Ah, that's right," Sephiroth nodded, remembering. "Back when I took my first SOLDIER exam...materia was not allowed at all."

"That's kind of dumb," Zack complained. "I mean, we use it in the field all the time, right? Might as well have them test with it. Of course, I still suck at summons," he added with a sigh.

Inside the simulated Ancient Forest, Cloud was avoiding the Big Eaters, but still trying to puzzle out just how to pass over them safely. The memory of falling into one of these vicious plants was still fresh in Cloud's mind, even though it had been several months since the incident occurred. His eye drifted skyward and he smiled, raising his sword over his head as he prepared to jump high.

"Strife, whaddaya doing?" Cadet Davyn called, shaking his head. "Guy's screwing off again - oh shit!" Too late, Davyn spotted a low-flying Epiolnis that showered him with poison; he coughed and wheezed, fumbling in his satchel for a remedy.

"What the hell _is_ he doing?" Zack muttered, frowning. Sephiroth tapped his chin thoughtfully and smiled.

"It appears that Cadet Strife is trying to puzzle out the riddle of the Big Eaters," Sephiroth replied, impressed. He watched as Cloud sprung up in the air, swinging his sword at the beehive, while the other cadets began shouting at him.

"Strife, you idiot! You'll unleash a shit-storm of angry bees at us, what the hell!"

"Don't worry, it's a dead hive!" Cloud shouted back, hacking the thing down with his sword. It fell neatly into the Big Eater, and the greedy jaws of the plant clamped shut upon it. Cloud landed down on all fours, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Looks like we'll have to pay up," Angeal remarked. "Nicely done."

"Hey...it looks like the guys are kicking ass in there, huh?" Zack observed. "Should I crank it up?"

"Yes," Angeal said slowly, smiling. The cadets were doing well thus far; no injuries as yet, and they were keeping up with the steady stream of enemies being thrust upon them. "Let's make things a bit more interesting, hmm? Throw in a few behemoths, chimera bugs, and...oh, let's cast a few of our own summons upon them as well." Angeal looked over to Sephiroth inquiringly.

"What are you packing today, Seph?" Angeal asked. "For summon materia," he elaborated.

"Well - " Sephiroth glanced down at his bracer, studying the materia orbs nestled within the polished metal slots. "Leviathan, Bahamut Zero, Phoenix..."

"I've got Ifrit and Shiva," Zack offered. "Um – I think that's what I put in here, anyway…." He squinted at the crimson materia orbs in his armlet, trying to recall which summons he'd inserted into his armor that morning.

"Excellent," Angeal replied. "I've got Hades, Alexander, Kjata - "

"Let's try not to kill any cadets today, please?" Sephiroth pleaded, at which Angeal laughed, while Zack looked rather alarmed.

"Guys?" Zack interrupted. "Has anyone actually ever _died_ during an entrance exam for SOLDIERS?"

"Only once," Sephiroth and Angeal replied in unison. "We'll – explain later, it was an accident – " Angeal said hurriedly.

"Okay…" Zack said dubiously, shrugging his shoulders. "All right, should we warn them, or not? And, uh….how hard should we hit them with the summons?"

"Not too hard," Sephiroth cautioned. "We're testing their defenses and reflexes, after all. And I don't know about you, Zack, but I have better things to do later on than to be cleaning up bloodstains in that room."

Zack laughed uneasily. "Ah, yeah. Good point."

"You can tell them to prepare for some stronger magic spells to be cast," Sephiroth added. "But do not be specific. When they're out in the field, conditions will not be so forgiving, nor will foes always be predictable."

"Got it," Zack replied. He pressed the button on the intercom once again. "Okay, guys….you're looking good out there so far, but stay sharp! We're going to throw some higher level stuff at you, so be prepared!"

"We are so fucked," Gregor mumbled, adjusting his visor. Cloud heard this and grinned.

"Don't worry, we've got this," the cadet declared with confidence, though some small part of him was unsure as well. He had to ignore those nagging feelings of doubt, and press on with the test. Cloud was under an unbelievable amount of pressure, mostly from himself; he had to pass this test, he just had to, or he'd end up returning to Nibelheim a failure.

_I have to do this...I have to make it, because there is no future for me back home,_ Cloud told himself. _Just have to stay on my toes._ The first summon to come had been Kjata, cast by Angeal; Cloud and the other cadets readily defended themselves against the intial elemental spells, countering them with opposing elementals magic. Cloud said a silent prayer of thanks that he had his Enemy Skill materia with him; although it wasn't at one-hundred percent, he'd learned enough enemy attacks to fend off most of the attacking spells sent his way.

"Gotta get me one of those," Davyn shouted above the din of battle. "Where'd you snag that, Strife?"

"Won it...played a good hand of poker!" Cloud replied, then instantly wished he could take back his words. _Shit. Gambling is not allowed on campus...I hope this doesn't disqualify me_, he worried, though the poker game in question had taken place in a bar in Junon one weekend, not in Midgar.

Cloud would have been quite relieved to hear the discussion going on between the three Firsts who were monitoring the exam.

"Another card player, Seph," Angeal commented. "Perhaps you should get in on some of that action."

"I'm not much of a gambling man," Sephiroth demurred. "Playing for materia, though...interesting. More useful than playing for gil, when you think about it."

"There's always strip poker!" Zack interjected, only to meet with a disapproving glare from both Sephiroth and Angeal. The general groaned, rolling his eyes. "What?" Zack demanded. "What'd I say now?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Zack. If you _can_, that is," Angeal admonished good-naturedly. "Heads up...looks like the cadets are starving for some more action," he continued. "Zack, why don't you summon Ifrit next? We've gone through most of our inventory already."

"All right," Zack agreed. "Um - which one is it..." He frowned, squinting at the orbs in his bracer.

"Good Gaia," Sephiroth groaned. "You need to keep better track of your materia - "

"Got it!" Zack crowed triumphantly, raising his hand as he cast the summon. His look of triumph soon turned to one of alarm as he realized the summon he had just cast was _not_ Ifrit, as a single yellow feather floated haltingly in mid-air.

"_Oh shit!_" Zack groaned. "No no no! Wrong summon!"

"Oh dear," Sephiroth murmured, unflinching. "Choco-Mog. Someone's about to get flattened – "

"Already happened," Angeal said dryly, as the overweight bird dropped forcefully on top of the closest target – namely, Cloud Strife, who looked upward in horror.

"Strife, get out of the way!" Cadets Gregor and Davyn yelled. The warnings came too late; the virtual summon landed upon Cloud full force. Though not real, the sense of weight crushing Cloud was quite real, and the blond cadet seized upon that knowledge, trying to talk himself out of the sensation of being squished. _None of this is real, none of this is real_, he kept chanting over and over again to himself - although it certainly felt real enough to the SOLDIER hopeful.

Meanwhile, in the anteroom, Sephiroth and Angeal were cornering Zack, admonishing him. "Really, now, Zack. Casting Choco-Mog when you'd meant to cast Shiva?" Angeal said, chiding Zack. "You need to keep better track of your materia."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Zack shouted in return. Sephiroth shook his head, and then finally laughed at his sheer idiocy.

"You were quite correct earlier, Zack," Sephiroth commented.

"Huh?" Zack said, clueless. "What do you mean?"

"You really _do_ suck at summons," Sephiroth replied, chuckling. "All right – let's check on Mr. Strife, shall we? I don't expect that he is gravely injured physically, but – his pride may be another matter."

* * *

Inside the VR room, Cloud wheezed painfully the wind fully knocked out of him with the virtual weight of the giant chocobo on him. His first worry was not whether or not he had injuries, but whether or not the test would be called on account of this sudden disaster.

"I swear to Shiva, I'm cursed," Cloud muttered. Suddenly there came relief, as soon as Zack shut down the simulator. The door opened and three SOLDIERS emerged. Cloud groaned as he saw who was among them.

_Great. I just **knew** Sephiroth was in there. Now he'll get to tell me I failed for the last time_, Cloud thought. He could envision Sephiroth with a big rubber stamp, stamping a glaring red-inked 'FAIL' on his test form and that would be that. The end of his dreams, all his hopes dashed, just because of this _stupid_ chocobo_. And it wasn't even real! That's the worst part of it all,_ Cloud thought indignantly. _I got crushed by a virtual, imaginary bird._ He felt the pressure subside and immediately rolled over, standing up quickly. Cloud ran his hand through messy blond spikes nervously, trying to appear cool and unperturbed.

"Okay, I'll just go get my things and leave - " Cloud said hurriedly, shamefaced, trying to avoid eye contact with the three soldiers. Sephiroth frowned at him, puzzled.

"Whatever for?" Sephiroth inquired. "We haven't given out marks yet. Surely you want to hear how well you've done?"

"Not really," Cloud muttered before he could stop himself. "Wait - you said did well. Does that mean I passed? I mean - I got sat upon by a chocobo," he added, ignoring the tittering laughter from his fellow cadets.

Sephiroth waved his hand dismissively. "It's happened to the best of us," he said airily. "And for the record - Choco-Mog was not part of today's testing. That summon was cast due to an, err - " he coughed politely into his hand while staring at Zack - "aberration with the materia. At any rate, you did win the bonus round, fair and square," Sephiroth told Cloud, tossing him an oddly colored materia. "Here is your prize, Cloud."

Cloud caught it deftly with one hand and stared at it, wide-eyed and disbelieving. "Wow." He shook his head. "So, uh…what is it?"

"Slash-All materia," Sephiroth replied. "They're rather hard to come by, so do make good use of it." His voice was stern, but the normally impassive face held a small smile for the cadet. Sephiroth admired such grit and determination; mainly because everything had come so naturally to the general, seeing someone struggle – though undoubtedly frustrating for the cadet – made him appreciate what he had that much more.

"Our apologies for the…technical difficulties with the summon today," Angeal added. "Despite that, we saw enough from all of you that we were able to make determinations for every candidate today. If you'll all remain here, we just need a moment to tally up everyone's scores, and you'll receive your rankings shortly." With that, Angeal nodded at both Zack and Sephiroth, ushering them both back into the office. He gave a kindly smile to the anxious cadets waiting outside before shutting the door.

"Nice going, Zack," Angeal grumbled. Zack gave an indignant glare and opened his mouth to argue, but Sephiroth held up a gloved hand to halt the dialogue.

"Enough," the general said a bit sternly. "Both of you. Quibbling about this now accomplishes nothing. What's done is done. The cadets all worked hard today, now it's time to do _our_ job," Sephiroth reminded them.

"Of course," Angeal murmured, as Zack sighed and looked sheepish.

"You're right," Zack admitted, grabbing the nearby clipboard. "Okay…here's my tally," he added, reading off each cadet's name along with the corresponding rankings. "Seph…Angeal, fire yours off, I'll make a grand total near each cadet's name."

It didn't take very long for Zack to record the marks for each candidate and come up with a grand total for each, but to the waiting cadets, the wait seemed eternal. Cloud tried his best not to fidget nervously, as the other cadets milled about, some pacing, some staring at the ceiling, wishing there was a window to look out of. All of the VR helmets had been removed and neatly stacked in rows in racks near the entry way.

The near-silence was broken when the office door opened once again and the three soldiers re-emerged, their expressions impassive and unreadable. Cloud felt anxious knots forming in his stomach once again; everything was riding on this. He'd mentally prepared himself for the worst, but still prayed it would not come to that.

"I have some good news and some bad news…." Sephiroth began, and Cloud felt his stomach lurch yet again.

* * *

**Author's Note: So, here I am with another multi-chapter! Originally intended to be a one-shot to get some Seph/Cloud bunnies out of my head, I found that I had more I wanted to say. And while I still don't know where this is going, as I write out an ACTUAL OUTLINE, I'm finding more things I want to weave into the plot; more characters and situations to explore, and some more headcanons to invent. We will see Aeris in upcoming chapters – she's a character I haven't really written as much as I'd like, so this is my chance to do that. And of course, Genesis will tear himself away from the play to make an appearance - he's not one to stay away for long!  
**

**And yes, I based the VR challenge here off the Ancient Forest – one of my favorite side areas in the game. My son and I just played that area the other day, and I remembered how much I'd loved it. Poor Cloud, getting devoured by man-eating plants! At least he outsmarted them this time.**

**I realize I am very cruel to leave things on this sort of a cliffhanger, but…I guess you'll just have to come back in a bit to read chapter two, then! Hope you enjoyed this one! I had a lot of fun writing it. And the song quoted herein…I found the lyrics to be very appropriate to what I envision for the Sephiroth/Cloud relationship will become in this story. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes on this chapter...No warnings for language or anything like that. Just some fluffy Cloud/Seph interactions here.**

**My headcanon for the "Kalm accent" - I liken it to a Boston accent, so expect Gregor to drop all of his R's!**

* * *

Sephiroth seemed oblivious to the tension the cadets were now feeling, after his offhanded comment of "good news and bad news." Zack and Angeal, however, noticed the vibe in the room right away.

"They've had a rough day, Sephiroth...don't freak them out any more than you have to!" Zack chided him as Angeal gave the anxious candidates a warm smile. Sephiroth glanced at Angeal, briefly envious of the almost fatherly rapport the Banoran always seemed to be able to establish with the cadets.

Sephiroth had never been able to make that kind of connection with them - the general sensed that the young men placed him on a pedestal. Sephiroth further realized that the pedestal was part of the image that had been manufactured by Shinra, Inc. He was once a cadet, just like this lot; then a Third, just like them, moving up the ranks until attaining his rank as first.

_Just like them_, Sephiroth thought idly before addressing the cadets. _But am I? I always felt...different from the rest. _He shook his head, pulling himself out of his reverie and smiled at the dozen new Thirds.

"My apologies, if I alarmed any of you unduly," Sephiroth began. He clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing as he spoke. "You all passed." His smile grew just a bit as he heard - and felt - an exhalation of pent-up breath from the entire room. "You can relax for a bit. The only bad news is that we do not have enough uniforms at present for everyone. Zack will be collecting your measurements before you are dismissed. Are there any questions, so far?"

Cloud blinked, scarcely believing what he just heard. _I passed? I passed? But how?_ He felt certain it must be some sort of colossal joke, but Sephiroth did not appear to be anything but serious as he fielded questions from the cadets.

Davyn was the first to raise his hand. "Sir! When will we go on our first mission?"

Sephiroth nodded and glanced over to Angeal. "Angeal has the specifics for your first detail, which will be patrolling the various sectors," the general replied. "As you all know, the war in Wutai is coming to a close. In the coming weeks, some of you will be dispatched to serve in my squadron. Lazard and I will be finalizing our strategy, and those who are chosen will be informed as soon as we have the roster."

There was an undercurrent of excitement amongst the new Thirds, and Cloud felt his heart beating even faster. To go from training in the VR room one day, to possibly his first combat mission in the next week or two - it still felt like a dream.

Angeal cleared his throat and began reading names off a chart. "Green, Kiley, and Strife - you'll be assigned to Sectors 6, 7, and 8, starting tomorrow evening." Davyn, Gregor, and Cloud looked at each other and grinned as Angeal read on, giving the remaining candidates their respective assignments.

"Each of you will have your own areas to patrol; we are dividing everyone between various Sectors, both above the Plate, and below the Plate. You are all SOLDIER now, so you will not be shadowed - you are on your own, though backup is, of course, always available via commlink." Zack began passing out the little earpieces amongst the new Thirds as Sephiroth instructed the young men as to their use.

"You've utilized these during your training already, I'm sure," Sephiroth took one in between his thumb and forefinger, flipping back a cascade of hair that Cloud thought looked like quicksilver, how it shimmered so brilliantly, even beneath the harsh fluorescent interior lighting. Cloud almost missed the entirety of Sephiroth's instructions, so transfixed was he on that silken swath of hair.

He shook his head and came back to his senses, inserting the communicative device in his own ear, mentally chastising himself for allowing his thoughts to wander in that fashion. It was akin to a schoolboy crush, and nothing more could come of it; Cloud felt foolish for staring as he'd done.  
Cloud poked at the little device, now firmly inserted in his ear, frowning at first at the unfamiliar sensation. It only took a few moments before it felt like nothing at all, which surprised Cloud.

"I can't even tell it's in there," Cloud said quietly to Davyn, who nodded.

"The Turks have them too, I think," Davyn replied. "Don't know if they're on the same frequency -"

"They are," Sephiroth replied, his sharp ears noticing Davyn's remark. The Third looked at the general in surprise, amazed that he'd even heard him. "Our emergency frequency is accessible to SOLDIER and the Turks. Also...please be mindful that President Shinra, and Vice President Rufus have scanners in their offices. They occasionally listen in, Rufus more so than the President."

"Which is why you should remember to be professional at all times while using the communicator," Angeal reminded them. "Anything you say can be heard by any number of people at any given time."

Cloud raised his hand with a question, and Sephiroth nodded at him. "Yes?"

"Sir? Is it a public band? I mean...do regular citizens have the ability to listen in on ham radio? We have those back home, in Nibelheim," he explained. He felt the others staring at him and his face reddened, wondering if he'd embarrassed himself by asking a stupid question.

"No, it's a secure channel, for authorized personnel only," Sephiroth replied. "Good question, Strife. Shinra does have a public band for emergency announcements and the like - severe weather situations, things like that." He looked around, sizing up the new SOLDIERS, and nodded. "Are there any other questions?"

Cloud let out a breath of relief; at least Sephiroth hadn't dismissed his question as pointless. He was feeling tired after the day of testing, and was grateful that none of the new Thirds had to report for duty until the following evening. Cloud was ready to grab some dinner, and then have a quiet evening to unwind and get to bed early.

The Thirds began to file out, talking excitedly amongst themselves about sharing their good news with family and friends.

"I'm calling my mom!" Gregor announced loudly, taking out his cell phone just as others were doing the same, milling about between the VR room and the corridor.

"Can't wait to tell my folks I made it into SOLDIER!" Davyn interjected excitedly.

Cloud reached into his pocket and grimaced as he felt around for his phone - which now seemed to be in several pieces.

"Oh no..." Cloud groaned. He realized immediately what had happened; thanks to the Choco-Mog summon landing on him, Cloud's cellular phone was now smashed to bits.

"Hm?" Sephiroth murmured, right behind Cloud as he was exiting, and the blond's head whipped around, suddenly startled. The general gave a rueful sigh as he surveyed what was left of Cloud's phone.

"Ah. Apparently the Choco-Mog has claimed a casualty," Sephiroth murmured, arching an eyebrow, eyeing the shattered remains of the cell phone. He gave Zack another withering glance but the First was oblivious, congratulating the newest lot of SOLIDER, slapping them on their back and giving them fist bumps. Sephiroth shook his head, smirking. _Ah, Zack. Ever the puppy._

"Uh, yes sir," Cloud replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It's all right. I'll get another one. Just wanted to call my mom and tell her I finally made it into SOLDIER, but it can wait - "

"Here," Sephiroth reached into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out his own Shinra-issue cell phone. He entered the passcode to unlock it, and handed it to Cloud. "Quickly," he added. "You may use my phone, but unfortunately I will need to get to my next meeting shortly."

"S-Sir?" Cloud stammered, overwhelmed with gratitude at the gesture. So much for the rumors that Sephiroth was cold and heartless. "But she lives in Nibelheim, it's long distance - "

Sephiroth waved off Cloud's concerns. "It's fine, Cloud. Make the call. But do make it quick, I do not have much time." He coughed politely and stood a respectable distance away to let Cloud make his phone call with some semblance of privacy; though Sephiroth soon realized what a ridiculous notion _that_ was, what with all of the new Thirds talking loudly over each other's conversations.

"Yeah, the test was _wicked hard_, ma!" Davyn crowed in that thick Kalm accent of his. Cloud eye rolled hard at him and, giving Sephiroth one more silently grateful glance, punched in the number for his home in chewed his bottom lip nervously waiting for his mother to pick up the line, praying that she actually _did_, and that she wasn't several doors down gossiping with Mrs. Lindblad, the neighbor.

_Come on mom, pick up pick up pick up…I'm only using Sephiroth's personal cell phone_-

Cloud silently fretted, and nearly hung up, but heard his mother on the other end of the line just in time.

"Mom! Mom, hi…it's Cloud." The Third felt himself blush hotly under Sephiroth's seemingly aloof gaze, and he turned his head away, quickly giving his mother the news.

"I can't talk for long – I'm using someone's phone –" Cloud began, but was quickly cut off by his mother.

"Cloud! _Cloud Ulrich Strife_! Where is your cell phone, hm? You lose it already? Great Shiva, that's the third one in two years –"

"Mom!" Cloud raised his voice, interrupting. "Listen, it got smashed, so I'm borrowing someone's but I _only have one minute to talk_!" He gave Sephiroth a helpless look and shrugged his shoulders. "_I'm sorry, sir_," he whispered to Sephiroth.

"Mom –I made it. I made it into SOLDIER, I passed the test! I'm Third Class now, starting today!" Cloud couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face; it lit up his whole countenance. Sephiroth couldn't help but smile a bit as well, hearing the excitement in Mrs. Strife's voice, even from several yards away.

"Cloud! You did it, baby, you finally did it! I knew you would, you know. Wait until I tell Mrs. Lindblad, and Mr. Lockhart - oh, I should tell Tifa too! You know, she's been dating that Johnny fellow. I don't like him. And what about _you_, Cloud - did you find a girlfriend yet in Midgar?" Mrs. Strife pressed, spitting out questions like bullets.

"Mom. _No_! I haven't met- no, I'm not dating anyone - seriously, I really have to go..."

Sephiroth waited patiently, glancing at the wall clock out of the corner of his eye; he didn't want to rush the young man, nor did he want this conversation to carry on for longer than it should and possibly delay him. Cloud, however, now seemed to have the matter well in hand, and was relaying his news as quickly as possible.

"I really have to go – I'll email you later, but I just wanted to tell you that I made it in, mom. I finally made it," Cloud said smiled hearing his mother get all teary-voiced, but quickly ended the call, promising at least three more times that he would email her with the details about the exam – and his smashed cell phone – as soon as he had a chance to do so.

Cloud handed the phone back to Sephiroth with a guilty look upon his face. "Thank you so much, sir," he thanked Sephiroth. "I'm sorry that took so long, my mother talks a lot– "

Sephiroth chuckled. "So I gathered. It's not a problem; congratulations are due to all you. Everyone did extremely well today, despite some unforeseen issues with summon materia," the general added with a pointed glare at Zack.

Zack wisely did not argue, but hung his head guiltily, knowing he'd probably be dressed down again later about his carelessness with Zack wasn't so skilled at hand-to-hand combat, he wouldn't have made it as far as he had, and he was well aware of that fact himself.

"Everyone's dismissed," Sephiroth announced to the group. "Congratulations, everyone. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and report to your appropriate sectors tomorrow for guard duty. Don't forget to pick up your new uniforms tomorrow morning from requisitions. That will be all." The men proudly saluted Sephiroth and filed out quickly, leaving the three Firsts to themselves.

"I'm done for the day," Zack announced. "Anyone want to hit up the pub with me and Kunsel?" he offered. Angeal shrugged his shoulders and looked to Sephiroth.

"Sounds good to me," Angeal replied. "Sephiroth? Coming with?"

"Perhaps later," Sephiroth replied. "I have a meeting with Lazard in five minutes. Taking care of the paperwork for our latest graduates," he added with a small smile.

"Ah, of course," Angeal nodded. "Well...you'll have to take a break at some point, Sephiroth."

"Yeah," Zack joined in. "All work and no play..."

"Duly noted, Zack," Sephiroth replied, tucking the stack of ratings and rankings under his arm and setting out for his meeting with Lazard.

An hour or so later, Sephiroth returned from his meeting with Lazard, and went back into the SOLDIER office to fetch a dossier he intended on reading after supper. Not long after, Genesis sauntered into the office with an air of nonchalant arrogance, ignoring the stare from Sephiroth. He sat in the general's leather chair and put his feet up on the desk, chewing thoughtfully on a dumbapple that was already half-gnawed.

"Nice of you to show up, Genesis," Sephiroth remarked coolly. "Marks have just been given...not that you need to concern yourself overly with our newest Thirds," he added caustically.

"I'll meet with them tomorrow. Today was my day off," Genesis replied matter-of-factly. "Lazard approved it, you know."

"I _do _know," Sephiroth said dryly. "Twelve took the test, and twelve passed. We're lucky to have such a strong group this year. Usually there's at least one or two who don't make the cut."

"Excellent," Genesis replied, again indifferently. "So…do you want to hear about _my_ day, Seph?"

Sephiroth sighed. "Oh, I can well imagine how your day was. Hanging about the set of Loveless, still trying to seduce the lead in order to get free tickets?" The suggestion, laced with the lightest touch of sarcasm as only Sephiroth could manage - was met with outrage.

"Sephiroth….you have no idea how it is out there! To be _me_, to be a single, very available, desirable and attractive young man! I have heartache in my soul that is bigger than the overinflated head on your shoulders," he added with a bit of venom.

"Yes, what a burden it must be….to be _you_, Genesis," Sephiroth said drolly, laughing at the redhead's usual flair for drama. "And how, pray tell, is _my_ head overinflated?"

"Declaring yourself the world's hero," Genesis countered saucily. "Such hubris! You know the saying, Seph….pride goeth before a fall," he quoted.

"I think it is you who should heed that maxim," Sephiroth retorted, chuckling. "And, recall - I did not declare myself a hero, Gen. It was Shinra's public relations department that did so. I had nothing to do with it."

"Nothing at all, hmm?" Genesis said with an air of suspicion. "Haven't you been kowtowing to the executive board lately?" he asked with a sly smile.  
Sephiroth sighed wearily. "Genesis...if you're referring to last month's executive board meeting, I sat in for all of five minutes. The President wanted me to give a brief overview of the situation in Wutai. That was all there was to it."

" 'Situation', hm? Such a pretty synonym for what it really is, it's a goddamned war." Genesis sniffed as he finished his Banora white, chucking the core into the waste-bin. "Well, anyway. Tell me about our newest Thirds. Any standouts among them?"

Sephiroth bit his lip to keep from saying what he really thought._ If you were that interested perhaps you could have made an appearance today_... Instead, he coughed politely and smiled at Genesis. "Well, all are quite adept in hand-to-hand combat," Sephiroth began. "Some more adept with a sword than others. Davyn was quite skilled with casting spells - and another stood out as being quite resourceful - that one won the bonus materia round."

"Ah, so you've parted with your Slash-all?" Genesis teased. "Who's the lucky winner?"

"I have another one, of course," Sephiroth replied. "The master of the one given out today. And the winner of the round was Cloud Strife, from Nibelheim," Sephiroth replied.

"He came _back_?" Genesis said incredulously. "Huh. I do remember him. He did so horribly in the first exam - slightly better in the second, though not enough for a passing grade. Whatever possessed him to try again, I wonder?"

"I haven't any idea," Sephiroth replied, shrugging his shoulders, glancing at the clock. "That sort of determination is an admirable trait, though."

"I failed the entrance exam once," Genesis said with an uncharacteristic quietness. Sephiroth remained tactfully silent, waiting for his friend to continue. Genesis gazed at him, paused, and went on, the smirk returning to his face.

"Of course, I failed on account of insubordination, and I did pass on the second go. Angeal passed right away, but he delayed his start date until I was also accepted."

"He is a good friend," Sephiroth murmured, well aware that he was stating the obvious, and Genesis nodded along with him.

"He is a better friend to me than I am to him," Genesis said, once again with a seriousness that belied his usual sarcastic nature. Sephiroth cocked his head to the side, intently studying his fellow First.

"Something on your mind?" the general inquired mildly.

"Nothing a good bottle of wine won't knock out of me," Genesis remarked jovially. "Bah, I'm getting too morose here. Come, let's meet up with Angeal and Zack. You _are_ done with the paperwork, aren't you?"

"I am," Sephiroth confirmed, inserting the hanging folders into his file cabinet and locking it. He smiled over at Genesis as he stood back up, straightening out his leather trench.

"You're always after me to take time for myself," Sephiroth commented. "Actually - you're not the _only_ one who's urged me to get out of the office and socialize more than I've been," he added, smirking.

"So...are you finally going to take heed, and listen to the sage advice of all your friends?" Genesis cocked an eyebrow at him. "_Well_?"

"Yes," Sephiroth replied smugly. "But you're buying the first round."

* * *

It would soon become obvious to all in the pub that First Class soldiers had a much higher tolerance for alcohol than their Third Class counterparts. Angeal announced every so often - for propriety's sake - that he favored dark stouts and drank beer 'just for the taste, not to get buzzed.' For a man Angeal's size, and for how much Mako he'd had injected into his body as part of the SOLDIER protocol, it would take a ridiculous amount of alcohol to get him drunk anyway.  
This was not the case for the Third Class SOLDIERS, who had only just begun their Mako injections, though their dosages would be increasing dramatically now that they had all officially passed their exam. Cloud nursed his own beer slowly; the beverage had grown warm by now, when most of his classmates were into their second beverage. Davyn, however, had just finished his third.

"Come on, Strife, loosen up!" Davyn clapped a hand over Cloud's shoulder, and the blond winced; Davyn was just starting to slur his words. A couple more beers in him, and Davyn would likely be unable to walk a straight line back to his barracks.

"We're all on duty tomorrow, you know," Cloud reminded him, feeling every bit like a wet blanket. Of course, this was cause for celebration, attaining SOLDIER status, but Cloud was ever mindful of how easily fortune could turn. One slip-up, and any one of them could be demoted or stripped of their rank.

"I know, you keep reminding us, _ma_," Gregor cut in, teasing Cloud. "Come on, kid. Drink up a bit. I would think you'd be celebrating the hardest, you worked your ass off tryin' to pass."

Cloud smiled a bit at this, and nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't easy..." He took a slug of his beer, finishing it, and wiped off the foam from his lip with the back of his hand. "Okay...maybe just one more. I don't want to be sick in the morning."

"Very wise," Sephiroth murmured, suddenly seeming to materialize out of nowhere. Cloud hadn't even seen the general slip into - he and Genesis had arrived only moments before, and Sephiroth already had a drink in his hand, a glass of red wine. He held the glass by its stem, and dipped his head downward, taking in the heady aroma.

Cloud swallowed nervously - Sephiroth always made him nervous - but attempted some polite small talk nonetheless. "Good evening, sir," Cloud said, hand nearly flying up to his forehead in a salute before he realized he was _off duty_.

"At ease, SOLDIER," Sephiroth ordered him, though a small smile was working the corners of his mouth, amused by the young man's enthusiasm. Cloud's mouth suddenly felt completely dry. _He just called me SOLDIER. I guess I am...still doesn't feel real, not yet._

"And congratulations on your materia win," Sephiroth went on. "You'd seen that scenario before, I take it? You seemed to know exactly what to do."

Cloud nodded, clearing his throat before replying. "I - I did. My second exam, those plants got me good. Ate my sword," he added, chuckling.

Sephiroth smiled and gave a small chuckle as well. "That has happened more times than I care to remember," he said quietly, smile growing deeper as he pointed across the bar to Genesis. "Genesis lost a boot once."

Cloud looked at Sephiroth in disbelief - was he pulling his leg? No, it seemed the man was serious. "Oh man," Cloud chuckled. "He must have been pretty ticked off."  
"Oh, he was," Sephiroth agreed. "Genesis's uniform is custom made - couture, of course. He's quite into fashion." The general paused and looked down at Cloud, noting the empty beer bottle. "What are you drinking, Cloud? Would you like another?"

"I'm only having one more, sir," Cloud replied. "I was drinking Nibelheim stout. _About the only good thing to come out of that town is the beer_," he added under his breath.

"Nibelheim stout it is," Sephiroth declared, flagging down a waitress to order Cloud's drink. "You're from Nibelheim, are you not?" he asked, turning back toward Cloud, who nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, sir," Cloud replied. "I'm glad to be out of there, honestly." Cloud didn't want to go into any great detail about _why_ he was so happy to be out of Nibelheim, and he hoped the general wouldn't ask any probing questions about his childhood.

"Please, we are off duty...you don't need to be so formal," Sephiroth said quietly. "Call me Sephiroth."

"Okay...Sephiroth," Cloud replied, still feeling uncomfortable at addressing the top-ranking General in Shinra so informally. He was so drawn in by the conversation with Sephiroth, that he hadn't even noticed that Gregor and Davyn had wandered off to mingle with the other Thirds.

"Well, you might be the next best thing out of Nibelheim, aside from the beer," Sephiroth said, flashing a grin. "Keep up the good work, Cloud. I'm pleased to have you in my squadron. We've got a very strong group this year."

Cloud felt himself blush crimson from the unexpected praise, still amazed that Sephiroth was bothering to talk to him, a lowly cadet. No, not a cadet - not anymore. I wonder when it'll sink in, that I finally made it?"

"It's a bit overwhelming in the beginning, isn't it?" Sephiroth tilted his head slightly to side as he spoke to Cloud, interrupted only when the server brought over Cloud's bottle of stout. Before Cloud could even make a move for his own wallet, Sephiroth produced a 100-gil note and handed it nonchalantly over to the waiter.

"I'll cover that...and one more round for our group," Sephiroth informed the woman. He smiled and pointed at his half-empty wine glass, indicating he'd like another. Cloud sipped his beer and nodded at Sephiroth.

"You mean getting used to the idea of making it into SOLDIER?" Cloud ventured, shrugging his shoulders. "It really hasn't sunk in yet, honestly. I wonder when it will?"

"Likely tomorrow it will, when you're in uniform, and on your first patrol," Sephiroth replied. "Though for some...it doesn't quite sink in until you've served your first combat mission. Unfortunately, given the situation in Wutai..." Sephiroth frowned, a shadow falling over his face. "Well. I can't speak too freely in public about this, but do not be surprised if we receive orders to go there soon."

"Understood, sir. I mean...Sephiroth," Cloud corrected himself, smiling. The general smiled back, clinking his glass against Cloud's in a toast.  
"Congratulations, SOLDIER Strife. Enjoy your evening," he said, excusing himself as Gregor and Davyn returned with beers. Davyn was grinning like an idiot as he shoved a bottle of stout at Cloud, not realizing he already had one.

"What's this for?" Cloud said quizzically. "I already have a beer, Sephiroth got it for me."

"Oh, well excuuuuse me, your _boyfriend _bought you a beer," Gregor trilled, laughing. In Gregor's liltng Cosmo accent, the word came out as 'be-ah.' "S'fine, Davvy-poo, I'll just drink his too," Gregor added, making a grab for it.

"_He's not my boyfriend, you idiot_!" Cloud hissed, as Davyn snorted laughing. "Gods, you guys should shut yourselves off before you embarrass yourselves. And you're not drinking my beer, Davyn, you've had enough," Cloud added, taking the extra bottle of stout and tucking it under his arm.

"Whatever. Hey, I heard Sephiroth's inta blonds," Davyn intoned, still snorting.

"You are both being ridiculous. And, you're full of shit. The General is a professional...he was just being kind, congratulating me on making it into SOLDIER," Cloud argued. "Just like he's doing with everyone, see? He's going around the bar congratulating _everyone_." He tilted his head back and downed the rest of his beer in one gulp, then moved on to the next. "I shouldn't be drinking this much...seriously, guys, this is the last one."

"I know, I know...we got duty tomorrow. I'll be ready!" Gregor announced, thumping his chest. Zack came by and clapped a hand on Gregor's shoulders, startling him.

"Hey, nice work today guys," Zack greeted the trio cheerfully. "By the way, Cloud...Sephiroth told me about your phone getting smashed on account of...uh, my materia mishap."

Cloud grinned; it was impossible _not _to like Zack. Despite his goofiness, the SOLDIER was charming, friendly, and encouraging to all of the recruits. Cloud also knew that Zack hadn't been a First for very long; he'd only received that ranking six months prior, but was already proving to be a great asset to the training program, motivating the newest members of SOLDIER and training with them one-on-one in the VR room. "I'm sure it happens to everyone," Cloud said kindly, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, the company is going to replace your phone, so don't _you_ worry about it, Cloud!" Zack countered, smiling widely. "Since it happened during an official SOLDIER examination, the company will replace it for you, free of charge."

"Wow...that's pretty awesome," Cloud replied happily. "Shinra's a good company to work for, then?"

"One of the best," Zack nodded. "The guys here, they've become my second family!" He beamed, catching Genesis's eye from across the pub, giving him a thumbs-up sign.

"Ah, your puppy needs you, Angeal," Genesis teased the eldest first, who frowned at him.

"You know Zack means well, Genesis," Angeal defended his protégé. "He's just a bit...enthusiastic, sometimes."

"He nearly flattened Cloud Strife, with that misplaced Choco-Mog summon," Sephiroth interjected, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, the little blond from Nibelheim," Genesis purred. "Saw you talking with him for a quite a while there, Sephiroth. Interested?"

"Interested in what? In Cloud?" Sephiroth replied dumbly, shaking his head. "No...I was merely chatting with him, Genesis."

"Sephiroth doth protest too much," Genesis said drolly, rolling his eyes. He dropped his voice to a low whisper. "I can _tell_ when you're crushing on someone, you know."

"He is rather attractive," Sephiroth finally admitted. "But, it would be highly improper, I am his commanding officer. As it would be highly improper for _any_ of us Firsts to have a dalliance with anyone under our command."

"Hmm, I think there are a few here that would like to be under my command, if you know what I mean," Genesis murmured, leering out at the group of young, fit men.

"Genesis...enough!" Angeal barked irritably, and Genesis threw his head back, laughing.

"Oh, come _on_ now," Genesis said in a mock-scolding tone. "This pub is a veritable meat market. We Firsts could have our pick of anyone."

"Perhaps I don't _want _just anyone," Sephiroth retorted. "Perhaps I want something with a little more meaning than a one-night stand."

"You mean a relationship?" Genesis nearly giggled. "Who the hell has the time for that? Really, darlings...it requires too much of an effort. But you _do_ need to get laid. The both of you. Probably Zack, too. All those squats he does...shame to let that go to waste, eh?"

"You are far too concerned with the sex lives of others," Angeal muttered, arching an eyebrow at Genesis. "This conversation is officially over." He stalked off in the direction where Zack was still chatting with the new Thirds.

"Have you gotten the hint yet, Gen?" Sephiroth said icily. "Honestly, I think your theater friends have been a bad influence on you."

"I have always been a passionate man, Seph," Genesis retorted. "That is nothing new." His expression sobered a bit as he put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "I do worry about you though, Sephiroth. Honestly...you have been working much too hard lately. Take some time off, and come out with us more often! Life is meant to be _enjoyed_, Seph...hard work has its place, yes, and as SOLDIER we have our duties, but it should not be 24/7. You need time for yourself once in a while."

"I came out tonight and was sociable," Sephiroth argued, smirking. "Isn't that good enough?"

"It's a fair start," Genesis replied, nodding. "You know, you might be surprised, Seph...allow yourself to enjoy a bit of pleasure once in a while, and you might find you'll grow to like it."

Sephiroth smiled at Genesis and nodded, watching Cloud and the other Thirds from the corner of his eye. "I'll consider it," he said briefly before clinking his wine glass against Genesis's. "Cheers."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ah, fluff! Big bunch of it here. Things will get moving in the next chapter as our new Thirds report for their first official duty as SOLDIER, and then - things will take a bleaker turn when the squadron is sent to Wutai to fight in the ongoing war. Please read and review if you are so inclined - I just love getting feedback!**

**Also...I've had thoughts about changing the title, as this is a bit similar to another story of mine ("Until the End") I'll be mulling that over as I get started on Chapter 3, I guess.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for this chapter: Some SOLDIER OC's of mine that have appeared in other stories/AU's make a brief appearance here. Dillon Marquard and Zane Ballard were both first seen in my story Pictures of You; they joined Shinra the same time Cloud did.**

**All the usual disclaimers apply - I own nothing except for my own OC's. **

**Now that we've got all that out of the way...here is chapter three!**

* * *

Sephiroth's sleep that night was restless, punctuated by lustful dreams with a nameless and faceless stranger. It was a recurring dream, and one that the general had been experiencing once or twice a week for many years.

As Sephiroth's dream-lover brought him to a subconscious peak, the general's body responded appropriately and involuntarily while he slumbered on. He woke to the sound of his own cry, echoing in the stillness of his darkened bedroom. Sephiroth sat upright, his left fist wrapped around a handful of sheets; he grimaced as he sensed the damp, sticky patch in between his legs.

_Rather an intense dream_, Sephiroth noted mentally, rising to head off to the bathroom and refresh himself. He glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table; the hazy bluish glow of the numbers indicated that it was three in the morning. The general grumbled slightly, and decided to draw himself a bath seeing as he was awake well before he needed to be. As he stripped out of his soiled pajama bottoms, watching the steam rise from the bath, Sephiroth's thoughts drifted back to his dream lover. It was always a male in these dreams, which no longer surprised Sephiroth - not since coming to terms with his sexuality. He'd tried being with women before, but it just never worked out. The desire simply was not there.

He thought back to the awkward romantic encounter with his childhood friend, Cissnei, and smiled, just a bit fondly, at the recollection. In hindsight the experience had not hurt either one of them, save for their senses of pride. Cissnei grew up within the confines of Shinra Headquarters, just as Sephiroth had; the two were playmates as children. That is, until Hojo demanded more and more of Sephiroth's time, monitoring his growth and physical prowess to a point of near obsession. It was stifling, all this attention, particularly when Sephiroth was a young teen going through puberty, with all the raging hormones and desires that went with that stage of life.

Had Hojo ever found out what transpired - or what _nearly_ transpired - between he and Cissnei, Sephiroth was certain the professor would have suffered apoplexy. He surely would have punished the two of them. It happened one summer evening on the Upper Plate, when Sephiroth was sixteen, enrolled in the SOLDIER program, and Cissnei was fourteen, training to be a junior Turk. As Sephiroth waited for the tub to finish filling with water, he thought back upon that day, over six years ago.

* * *

_"Have you ever thought about...you know, being boyfriend and girlfriend?" Cissnei had asked him shyly. Sephiroth had been the only boy who'd remained her friend since childhood; the only one who hadn't made fun of her for wanting to be a Turk, or discourage her from her dreams because she was a female._

_The question took Sephiroth by surprise. "Boyfriend?" he murmured, eyeing Cissnei curiously. It seemed to have come out of nowhere, though Sephiroth noted that Cissnei had been snuggled against his side. He'd merely been keeping her warm as the night air grew cooler by throwing his arm around her, only meaning to be chivalrous; had Cissnei taken this small gesture as a hint that Sephiroth wanted to go further? _

We're not even on a date_, Sephiroth had thought. ..._Are we?

_"I don't know…I've never really dated anyone seriously," he'd replied candidly. "You're my **friend**, Cissnei," Sephiroth added quickly, hoping to spare her feelings. "What if it ruined our friendship, if we started dating?" Sephiroth had been so immersed in his training for SOLDIER, even since he was a young teen; and now that he was ranked as First Class at the tender age of sixteen, it was not as if the young man had ever had much of a personal life. Sephiroth hadn't even seen Cissnei in several months since she'd started her own training with the Turks, under Veld's tutelage. Not to mention, Sephiroth hadn't the faintest idea about what he even wanted a relationship with someone – or what he even wanted in the first place._

_"Of course...I wouldn't want to lose your friendship, Sephiroth," Cissnei had finally admitted, looking up at him through her soft bangs. "But...I just have one question for you. Do you fancy me?"_

_"You're a beautiful girl, Cissnei," Sephiroth told her, wincing as he realized how formal and detached he sounded. "I mean, yes - I think you're quite pretty." He realized, quite sheepishly, that he was avoiding directly answering the question by flattering Cissnei. Did he fancy Cissnei, in that way? He'd never really thought about it. She was his friend, certainly - perhaps his only real friend up to that point in his life. Sephiroth hadn't ever given much thought to dating, or relationships. SOLDIER took up most of his time now; all the training and preparation, all the extra hours Hojo required him in the lab for all sorts of testing._

_"Haven't you even kissed anyone?" Cissnei blurted, and then turned bright red. "I'm sorry – maybe I shouldn't ask - "_

_"No, it's a fair question," Sephiroth said, shrugging his shoulders. "I...haven't, actually." He smiled at Cissnei as he admitted to this, and she leaned in toward him._

_"Sixteen and never been kissed?" Cissnei quipped, giggling. "I would kiss you, you know. If you wanted to try it out." The truth was, Cissnei had never kissed anyone either, but she'd always hoped that her first one would be with Sephiroth. Other boys had started to notice the young teenage girl, but Cissnei never could seem to catch Sephiroth's eye in that way. "Just friends" - Cissnei told herself she was okay with that, and she was - but what if Sephiroth was willing to have something more? Cissnei could be okay with that too. Their lives were moving apart, in opposite directions, and Cissnei didn't want to lose the only friend she'd really had since childhood._

_"I..." Sephiroth licked his lips, his mouth suddenly gone dry. "We could...I suppose - try it - " Sephiroth stammered nervously, and the two moved slowly toward each other in an awkward embrace, with Cissnei draping her legs sideways over Sephiroth's. She hesitated for just a few short seconds before very gently kissing him. Just a quick, fluttering peck on the lips, over and done with before Sephiroth even had a change to react._

_Sephiroth froze, unsure what to do next. His hands came up around Cissnei's waist automatically as he snugged her into a clumsy embrace. "I...don't know what I'm doing," he muttered, embarrassed._

_"Um...neither do I," Cissnei confessed. "Aw, just kiss me back, you big dork," she continued, teasing. "You don't have to worry. It's just me...just Cissy." And Sephiroth took in a sharp breath, closing his eyes as his lips pressed against hers, soft and pliant, tasting like the cherry lip gloss Cissnei always wore. It was a pleasant sensation, but not pleasant enough. It didn't feel wrong, but it didn't feel _right_, either. Not like the kisses Sephiroth had experienced each night in his dreams, with his nameless and faceless dream lover; rough and passionate at the onset, animalistic and unbridled. _

_Sephiroth determined then and there to at try and reciprocate Cissnei's tender, hesitant little kisses and embrace, hoping that once. Sephiroth's arms tightened around Cissnei's waist slightly, and he hummed nervously as the kiss continued and deepened before he suddenly broke it - that odd feeling resurfacing once again. "...Was that all right?" he asked Cissnei with an uncertain half-smile._

_Cissnei pulled back and hid her mouth behind her hand, shaking her head. "Sephiroth – I'm sorry – this….just isn't going to work out," she said, sounding a bit crestfallen. She giggled nervously, and gave the young SOLDIER a hug._

_"Did I do something wrong?" Sephiroth asked, bristling. If his kissing technique was off, that was certainly something Sephiroth would want to address eventually._

_"No, not at all," Cissnei replied. "It's just….well." She coughed uncomfortably, and inched away a bit from Sephiroth. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, it's just that – I felt like I was kissing my _brother_." She laughed self-deprecatingly, and Sephiroth even smiled at her. "And I don't even have a brother – but I guess you're the closest thing I have to one – "_

_Sephiroth gallantly put an arm around Cissnei's shoulders and smiled. "No, it makes sense, Cissnei…we've always been there for each other, haven't we? _

_Cissnei smiled. "So...now what?" she asked. _

_Sephiroth's smile began to fade. "We go back to our lives as they were, I suppose. You have your Turk training to begin – "_

_"And you'll be going off to war, I know," Cissnei finished for him. She hugged Sephiroth's arm, leaning in against his shoulder. "Sephiroth?" She looked up at him, eyes questioning. "Can I just ask you one thing? Were you….relieved that this didn't work out between us?"_

_Sephiroth blanched; he didn't want to hurt Cissnei or sting her pride, but the practical side of the young man saw no point in telling white lies at this point. This was Cissnei, after all; she deserved the truth, painful though it might be to hear._

_"I was a bit relieved," Sephiroth replied candidly. "My first concern was in not wanting to jeopardize this – our friendship. But – there is something else."_

_Sephiroth's thoughts drifted again to his dream lover -_ _it was always a man kissing him in his dreams. The feel of stubble against his lips, arms of hardened muscle holding him tight; calloused hands gripping his cock, stroking him to sweet completion. _

_Cissnei was none of those things - she was soft and feminine and sweet. She could be hard when she wanted to be – Cissnei wouldn't even be considered for Turk training if she didn't have some degree of toughness in her. But it was not the type of hardness and toughness Sephiroth desired._

_"What is it, Seph?" Cissnei said quietly. She sat there, just stroking a long silver strand of hair, brushing it out of Sephiroth's eyes. _

_"I just - " Sephiroth felt something catch in his throat. He hadn't admitted this to anyone - not even himself, really. "I don't think I'm meant to be with girls," he continued. "I mean, women. I don't - " He paused, nearly telling her about the erotic dreams he'd been having, but he stopped himself just in time. No, those dreams were his subconscious fantasies; they were private, and he didn't have to share them with anyone. _

_"Sephiroth?" Cissnei prodded. "Are you trying to tell me something?" _

_He nodded, unable to speak out loud; it seemed his mouth had gone dry yet again. "Yes," he finally managed to squeak out. "Yes I am." _

_Cissnei smiled and began to laugh. She hugged him tightly, and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh gods. I've gone and made an ass of myself, haven't I?"_

_Sephiroth shook his head. "No, Cissy. No, you haven't. I'm just starting to figure things out for myself."_

_The girl nodded, resting her head on Sephiroth's shoulder. "So am I. I'm sorry...if I made you feel uncomfortable. I just thought - "_

_"You didn't," Sephiroth reassured her. "You're a good friend to me, Cissnei. More than you'll ever know. I'm just sorry...if I disappointed you tonight."_

_Cissnei clucked at that. "Gods, Sephiroth. Don't be silly. We'll always be friends, right?" _

_"Of course we will," Sephiroth replied firmly, nodding. They sat side by side for a moment, gazing at the stars, falling silent. _

_"Maybe it's for the best, then," Cissnei finally said, very softly. "I'll be off to Mideel soon, to continue my training with Veld."_

_Sephiroth nodded. "We…both have a lot going on in our lives now, don't we? It hasn't been announced yet, but – they want to make me a general," he told Cissnei, frowning. "I know I can handle the responsibility – I've been in combat since I was thirteen – but, the youngest general ever." He paused, tilting his head back and staring straight at the night sky, full of stars. One could actually see them up here, above the Plate. _

_"You've got the weight of the world on your shoulders, don't you?" Cissnei said perceptively and sympathetically, and Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders indifferently._

_"It is how it must be," Sephiroth replied. His life had been mapped out for him for so long, he'd never thought to question if there were other options for him. SOLDIER had always been the ultimate goal, the path predestined since his birth, really. And it was not as if Sephiroth minded the legacy he'd been groomed for; he simply didn't know any other life except for the military._

_The next day, another skirmish would break out in Wutai, and Sephiroth would be shipped off almost immediately to fight in what one day would be known as the Da-Chao Offensive; Wutaians had attempted to ambush the SOLDIER contingent by trapping them within the Da-Chao fire caves, expecting them to perish quickly amidst the flames. _

_They did not count on one sixteen-year-old boy stepping up and, almost single-handedly, decimating all of the Wutaian rebels who stood in his way, turning their own strategy against them. The Wutaians' plan backfired on them, in every sense of the word; Sephiroth charged through the flames of the fire cave and lived; his attackers were so shocked by the fact that he not only survived this feat, but he emerged with not one mark on him, that they stood there, awe-struck. _

_It would be the last mistake those rebel forces ever made._

_Sephiroth would not see Cissnei again until several years later, when she was a full-fledged Turk; and the war in Wutai would still continue, long after Sephiroth made the rank of general, and began training his own forces._

* * *

"Ahh..." Sephiroth murmured to himself contentedly as he slipped into the blissfully warm water of his bath, the pleasant ache between his legs now fading. He sighed happily as he relaxed in the tub, careful to have put his hair up before leaning back. Soon it would be dawn, and Sephiroth would be back in the gym for his usual morning workout, followed by a sparring session with Angeal, Genesis, and Zack. Then, another briefing with Lazard and Heidegger about the situation in Wutai would round out the General's afternoon.

Sephiroth also kept in mind that the new Thirds would be on duty starting that evening. He, along with the other Firsts, would make a point to pop in on the various sectors they'd be patrolling that evening. It would not be much more challenging than the guard duty they'd been used to as entry-level infantrymen; however, in this instance the Thirds would be on duty alone. Shinra infantry were generally assigned to patrols in pairs; when one got to SOLDIER level, the men were expected to perform their duties independently.

_I wonder how many men we'll lose this round,_ Sephiroth thought idly. SOLDIER hopefuls were reduced in number at each level, either by dropping out, being injured too badly to continue, or – in rare cases – death. Sephiroth's SOLDIER trainees from two years prior, for instance, had numbered over one hundred. Now, that same group of trainees – some Thirds, some Seconds, some still serving in the infantry – had shrunk down to about half that number. The group of Thirds that had just passed their exams yesterday numbered twelve, and Sephiroth predicted that they'd lose at least two within the next six months.

_Perhaps even more, if they do not fare well in Wutai,_ the general mused, frowning. It was a real concern; dwindling numbers of enlisted men in Shinra's infantry and the SOLDIER program. There had been talk of late, of Reeve Tuesti's research in robotics; a project was being developed in conjunction with the Science division to create an army of human-cyborg hybrids; clones that would be outfitted with cybernetics to enhance their natural strength and abilities. They could be mass-produced and trained quickly, much more quickly than it took to train the average recruit to ready them for battle.

Sephiroth and the other Firsts were dubious of this clone-cyborg venture. While they each had their opinions on the matter, none of them were members of Shinra's executive board, and therefore held no real sway over anything. Members of SOLDIER could make their recommendations, and offer their opinion when asked, but what the President wanted out of SOLDIER was results. Not opinions from non-executives.

The general pushed these thoughts out of his head as he readied himself for his long day ahead, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming sparring match with his fellow Firsts. Genesis, out of all of them, kept Sephiroth on his toes the most. He smiled, wondering what sort of tricks the hotheaded Banoran might have up his sleeve this time.

* * *

Cloud was in a long queue at the requisitions department that morning; just like the others who had passed the recent examinations, they were there to pick up their SOLDIER uniforms, and the line was full of both Seconds and Thirds. Cloud smiled at his fellow Thirds as he took his place in line; the atmosphere was jubilant, full of excitement.

"Ey, Strife," Davyn and Gregor greeted Cloud in unison, both looking a bit disheveled and bleary-eyed.

"Ow," Davyn winced, pulling his dark sunglasses down over his eyes. "The light…hurts."

"That's exactly why I didn't drink as much as you did last night," Cloud said, half-teasing, half-serious. He wondered sometimes about Davyn; passing field exams had come easily to the young man, making Cloud further wonder how many in SOLDIER took their abilities for granted. Since day one as an infantryman, Cloud had had to claw his way to the top, and it hadn't been easy. None of this had been easy for the quietly determined teen from Nibelheim.

Gregor snorted. "I shut myself off long before this knucklehead did."

"Who?" Davyn grinned, playing dumb. "What knucklehead you talking about?"

"_You_, stupid," Gregor replied, eye rolling. He lowered his voice slightly as he motioned Cloud and Davyn closer. "Listen...this shit's serious, Dav. I know you got friends in high places, but some of us _don't_," he said pointedly.

"Shut up," Davyn countered rudely. "You were drinking last night too...we all were! So don't act all high and mighty."

Cloud, meanwhile, appeared confused, and shook his head. "Friends in high places? I don't know what you're getting at, Gregor."

Gregor stared at Cloud in surprise. "You mean you didn't know? Davyn's uncle is Professor Hollander. The scientist."

"Oh," Cloud replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess I _didn't_ know that." He'd never met Hollander, though he'd heard the name mentioned before, usually in conjunction with Professor Hojo. Considered by many to be the one always in Professor Hojo's shadow, Hollander had not been on the main campus of Shinra Headquarters for quite some time, away on an extended assignment.

Cloud had not even met Professor Hojo yet, though he knew that name as well. Everyone did; he was the man who oversaw the Mako protocol for SOLDIER, though he didn't give injections to candidates himself, Hojo had staff assistants doing that bit of work for him.

"That's because I don't like to talk about it," Davyn snapped, eyes flashing angrily at Gregor. "I didn't want it to get _around_, Greg. I'd like to think I'm here because of my own talents, not because of who my uncle is."

"So why were ya bragging to me about your safety net then, huh?" Gregor challenged. Cloud moved in between the two arguing, trying to mediate.

"Guys, just stop it, all right?" Cloud pleaded. "Just - it doesn't matter. Let's get our uniforms, and then hit the mess hall for lunch, okay?" Cloud really just wanted the petty arguing to stop, and to get on with the rest of his day. He felt a nervous ebullience over his first duty as SOLDIER, even though he suspected that it would turn out to be a mundane evening patrolling his assigned Sector.

"Oh gods, look who's here...Cloudy with a chance of Strife," came a deep voice from behind the trio of Thirds. Cloud spun around to see who it was, his features stiffening into a perplexed frown. His expression relaxed immediately when he saw who it was, and a broad grin broke out across his face.

"Shut up, Dill-hole," Cloud jibed at the redheaded SOLDIER; it was his classmate from the previous year, Dillon Marquard, along with his roommate, Zane Ballard. Both Dillon and Zane had just made their ranks as Seconds, and were there to pick up their own uniforms. "Guys..." Cloud nodded toward Davyn and Gregor. "These are my buddies, Dill and Zane...way back from basic," he continued, and introduced them all. "Gregor Kiley, and Davyn Green."

"Oh, I know _you_, Marquard," Davyn replied, grinning as he grabbed Dill in a bear hug, nearly lifting him off of the ground. Cloud stood there looking at two blankly until it registered.

"Man...I totally forgot, you guys are both from Kalm," Cloud finally sorted it out, and laughed at his own slowness.

"Yeah, and this guy is a total _asshole_," Dill deadpanned, breaking out into a grin, jerking his thumb at Davyn.

"Likewise," Davyn replied, giving Dill the finger. "Fuck off, Marquard. And nice to meet ya, Zane. Where you from?"

"Rocket Town," Zane replied quietly, smiling a bit at the two as they bantered. "Not many of us from there, in Shinra."

"Not too many from Nibelheim, either," Cloud added softly. He shoved his hands in his pockets, eyes downcast as the others nodded along.

"Well...Nibelheim is kind of far, I suppose," Gregor commented. "So's Rocket Town. I'm from Cosmo, myself. My parents are hippies," he added, grinning. "They weren't too happy that I wanted to join the military - "

"_Next_! Step forward, please!" A sharp voice called, and the line moved forward; Cloud was nearly at the counter now, to pick up his uniform.

_Maybe once I put it on...maybe then it'll feel real_, Cloud mused. He gave the woman at the counter a small smile as he shuffled forward, handing her his requisition ticket, heart swelling with a bit of pride as he read the small black font upon it: **CLOUD STRIFE, SOLDIER 3RD CLASS.**

It was real, all right, and for a moment Cloud suddenly felt wistful and sentimental, wishing he could keep that little stub of paper and put it in a scrapbook. Perhaps he would even enclose it with the next letter to his mother as a memento; she'd been complaining that emails were too 'impersonal', and that she wanted a 'real' letter from Cloud the next time he wrote home.

He handed the ticket over, and received in exchange three sets of uniform pants, three tank tops, shoulder pauldrons, belts, gloves, and a new set of boots. The design was the same as the uniforms of the Firsts and Seconds, but in a lighter, more purplish shade of blue. Firsts could choose a uniform of their own design, as Sephiroth and Genesis had done, while Angeal and Zack chose to wear the traditional SOLDIER garb.

_First Class...wonder if I'll ever make it that far?_ Cloud wondered idly, and then murmured his thanks to the woman handing out the uniforms. He saw her tear up the ticket he'd just handed her and winced slightly; such a simple little thing, but Cloud also knew there would likely be other such items and keepsakes he could send to his mother.

"Guys...I'm going to meet up with you later at the mess hall," Cloud called out to his friends as he hurried off. "I want to put this stuff in my room, and then I've got to send a few emails." He remembered that he'd promised his mother after talking to her on the phone - Sephiroth's phone - that he said he would email her as soon as he could.

_I forgot_, Cloud thought guiltily, quickening his pace as he trotted along. _I'll have to do it later_. There was so much to do today before reporting for duty that evening - he still had exams the next day that he needed to study for, then his usual strengthening workout. Along with the Mako he was being administered, Cloud was on an exercise regimen with one of the personal trainers for SOLDIER hopefuls; a bear of a man named Satch. Even though Cloud had his first official SOLDIER duty the same day, there was no getting out of his training session; absences were simply not accepted by Satch. Cloud had even heard a rumor that Satch made a cadet miss his own father's funeral in order to attend a training session.

Lost in his thoughts, Cloud rounded the corner and nearly collided with someone hurrying toward him, moving just as quickly as he was.

"Whoa...excuse me," the man muttered, and Cloud stumbled back, nearly dropping the overly large pile of clothing on the ground; as Cloud regained his balance he shifted his load, and one of the belts slid off onto the ground.

"Shit," Cloud muttered, stooping down just as the man did likewise. Cloud gasped in horrified recognition as he looked up; he didn't recognize. "Oh. Commander Fair. Sir!"

Zack grinned at Cloud as they both stood up, and he handed the Third his uniform belt back to him. "Please…I'm off duty, Cloud, you can just call me Zack. So… looks like it's requisition day," Zack observed. "Feels pretty good to get your first real SOLDIER uniform, doesn't it?"

Cloud nodded eagerly. "It's unbelievable, sir. I've worked so hard to get here."

"You sure have, Cloud," Zack replied easily. "You've definitely earned your rank. But don't think you can rest on your laurels tonight, either!" he teased. "I know all you noobs are pulling duty later on. What Sector were you assigned to, again?"

"Sector Eight...lower plate," Cloud answered, and Zack nodded.

"Makes sense," Zack went on. "Above plate in Sector eight is Turks' jurisdiction," he explained.

"Turks patrol the sectors too?" Cloud inquired. He knew _of_ the Turks, but by reputation only - Cloud had never actually met any of them in person. They operated in shadow, and were rarely seen, even by SOLDIER. He also knew they were listed in the office directory at Shinra HQ as Department of Administrative Research - an amusing moniker, since they were technically Black Ops, though their actual job duties remained somewhat of a mystery. Even Zack wasn't entirely sure what the Turks did, though he knew they did a little bit of everything, and were paid very well for it too – they earned even more than SOLDIER did.

"Not all of them, but yeah...there's a few areas where the Turks do an extra sweep," Zack informed Cloud. "Doing...well, whatever it is Turk's do," he added, chuckling.

"You mean you don't know?" Cloud asked, curious. Zack shrugged his shoulders indifferently and grinned, sweeping a hand through his mop of black hair.

"Nah, well...I don't know specifics," Zack replied. "Turks…they show up when you least expect it, though," he added cryptically. "Hey, Cloud - good luck tonight, man. I've got to get going to see my girlfriend…she doesn't like it when I'm late!"

"You have a girlfriend?" Cloud blurted, and then realized how ridiculous he sounded; of _course_ someone as handsome and charming as Zack had a girlfriend, probably even more than one, likely.

"Yeah, she lives in Sector 5," Zack replied, giving Cloud a wave as he turned to leave. "Maybe you'll meet her sometime. See you later, Cloud!"

Cloud waved after Zack, staring at him for a bit before continuing on his way. He suddenly remembered his promise to his mother that he'd email her; smiling, Cloud decided he'd also send her a photo of himself – in his uniform. Cloud wasn't normally a braggart, but this time – this _one_ time - he felt he'd finally earned the right to bask a little bit. He was SOLDIER! Cloud swore, though, that he could hear his mother's voice in his thoughts, cautioning him not to let it go to his head too much.

_I just want to enjoy this moment…just for a little bit._ _I just want to see how it looks._ Upon reaching his room, Cloud placed the items neatly upon the small twin bed, excited to try his uniform on to see how it fit, and how it looked. This term Cloud had a room to himself; Dill Marquard had been his former roommate. Dill had advanced ahead of him the previous semester, making it into SOLDIER while Cloud had stayed behind. Now Cloud was finally a Third, and Dill was moving into the ranks of Second Class.

Dill had been a good friend and classmate to Cloud from the start, but a small, selfish part of Cloud was grateful to have this space to call his own. Growing up without any brothers or sisters, it had been a big adjustment at first for Cloud, living amongst other young men his age. He'd adapted readily enough though, and Cloud got along well enough with most of his fellow cadets, though there were a few bullies here and there. It was nothing he wasn't used to already; back home in Nibelheim, nearly all of the kids his age had ganged up on him, picking on him for being the smallest and the weakest, until that one day when he decided to fight back.

Cloud made sure the door was locked – some of his fellow residents in the barracks had a _most_ annoying habit of just walking into someone's room without knocking – and quickly stripped off his old infantry uniform. Cloud gave the worn garment a rueful glance before tossing it into his clothes hamper; he'd been issued these fatigues the day he arrived at Shinra's military academy.

He slid he uniform pants on first, and then threaded the belt through the loops; the pants hung loosely around his slim hips while he pulled on a black tank top, followed by the bright blue sleeveless sweater tank. Cloud took in a deep breath of satisfaction, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. His mother would be so proud to see him in his uniform; hell, he was proud himself. The uniform hung a bit loosely on him, though it was not overly baggy; Cloud hoped he would fill it out by putting on even more muscle than he already had, the more he trained in the gym.

_Shit_, Cloud groaned. _The gym! He suddenly remembered his training session at the gym with Satch; it was to start in half an hour._ There would be no time to get a proper meal beforehand; an energy bar would have to suffice. Cloud pulled on his boots and tightened his belts, running a hand through his unruly mop of hair. He glanced in the mirror and groaned; just a moment ago he felt so put-together, so polished. Now that he was running late for his training session, Cloud began to feel harried. Perhaps he shouldn't have stopped and chatted with Zack for so long. There was nothing he could do about it now; Trainer Satch would be expecting him very soon, and if Cloud didn't report in time to start his warm-ups, he would be marked tardy, and tardiness was simply not acceptable in SOLDIER.

Satch Brightwell was a behemoth of a man, towering over the Elite First Class SOLDIERS; he was even taller and broader than Angeal Hewley, whose physique was admired all over Greater Midgar as it was. Satch's body shape could best be described as a tree trunk; thick and burly, heavy of muscle. He sported a bit of fat around his belly; the man loved to eat as much as he loved to train hard, but he was by no means obese. Satch was just _big_, physically, and that extended to his personality as well. He was loud and brash with a hearty laugh, and what some deemed an uncouth sense of humor. Zack Fair, in particular, got along with him rather well.

Sephiroth kept him on because he was merciless as a trainer, and the general knew that his men needed that sort of discipline. Even those who had attained a rank in SOLDIER could not be allowed to get cocky or complacent; if anything, Sephiroth wanted Satch to train those men even _harder_.

Satch was only too happy to comply with this decree. Cloud would be his last trainee of the day before breaking for dinner, and Satch's ravenous appetite was beginning to make itself heard as his stomach growled loudly. When Satch was hungry, he could get a bit ornery – and Cloud would be the one to suffer.

_Five more minutes,_ Satch thought, glancing at the clock on the wall_. He's got five more minutes, then I'm marking him truant – _

"I'm here!" Cloud called out, sprinting through the door. Satch's broad arms were folded across his chest, looking menacingly at the brand-new Third.

"So. Mister SOLDIER, huh?" Satch stroked his goatee as he looked down upon Cloud – and look down he did, the man towered a full foot and a half over the blond. "Well. Don't go thinking I'm going to let you slide now, even though you got your rank. Congratulations. NOW DROP AND GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED PUSH UPS! CLAP YOUR HANDS IN BETWEEN EACH AND EVERY ONE! THEN YOU WILL DO ONE HUNDRED SIT-UPS!"

"Yes – yes, sir!" Cloud replied forcefully, though he was groaning internally_. He's going to kill me before my first night on patrol. Oh shit…I am so screwed. _He dutifully dropped and began the drill, grateful that at least he'd improved his technique on push-ups. Cloud remembered his very first day at the Academy, when he was a cadet; his arms were too weak to carry him past even ten push-ups, and Genesis Rhapsodos had mercilessly mocked him – right in the middle of class – and stepped on his back, forcing his face down to the rubber mat of the floor.

_How humiliating_. Cloud took great pride in knowing he'd come a long way since then, but Satch was about to show him that things were not going to get easier. In fact, they were about to get a hell of a lot harder.

Sweat dripped into Cloud's eyes as Satch put Cloud through his paces; he repeated the drill of one hundred pushups followed by one hundred sit-ups four more times; then, one hundred jumping jacks, and lifting weights. Cloud grunted, back pressed hard against the weight bench as he began with a bench-press of fifty pounds – one twenty-five pound weight on either side of the barbell.

And Satch did not waver, he kept piling the weight on, ten pounds at a time. Cloud was up to seventy-five pounds, arms trembling madly when he heard the door open.

"Ah, good to see you, General Sephiroth," Satch greeted him warmly. Cloud's eyes widened, and a groan slipped out, unbidden. "What can I do for you?"

_Great, like I wasn't under enough pressure already_, Cloud thought, trying his damnedest to focus, to slowly raise and lower the bar without crushing his chest.

"Satch," Sephiroth greeted the SOLDIER trainer, heading over to the weight racks himself. "No, don't let me interrupt you – I can see you're in the middle of training. I've come in to do a few sets. Just finished sparring with Angeal and Genesis." He smiled as he grabbed some weights off the rack.

"No problem, General," Satch replied. "You just let us know if we're in your way. Okay, Strife!" The trainer turned his attentions back to Cloud, shouting slightly. "Pay attention! I'm adding more weight, so you'd better be ready!" he warned.

Cloud grunted and gasped, but still held steady. "I'm ready," he groaned.

"What's that?" Satch cocked an ear toward the Third, grinning. "Giving up? You sound like you're ready to give up – "

"Not giving up, damn it!" Cloud snapped, panting. "I mean – uh – not giving up, _sir_!"

Sephiroth's head turned as he heard Cloud's name, and paused, holding weights in each hand; he smiled and turned back toward Satch and his trainee, stepping behind the weight bench.

"Shall we add another twenty-five?" Sephiroth inquired, smirking at Satch, who nodded, grinning.

"I like the way you think, General," Satch replied. "Go right ahead, sir." Sephiroth slid each weight on either side of the barbell, and smiled as he heard Cloud straining under the additional weight. He wasn't doing it to be cruel; there was just something about Cloud that made Sephiroth want to draw more out of him. He had high expectations out of anyone who was in SOLDIER, but with Cloud it was something different. The young man had already proven he was stubborn, and had staying power; Sephiroth wanted to make sure he kept that fight alive. Even though he was now a Third, this was no time for Cloud to rest on his laurels; if anything, he would have to push even harder to succeed.

"Cloud…I realize you have duty tonight," Sephiroth murmured, bending down over Cloud's face, tapping him in the chest. His long silver hair brushed over Cloud's face, tickling it, giving the blond an urge to sneeze.

"Y-yes, sir!" Cloud replied, struggling. He kept the weight up, and slowly lowered it, then back up again.

"Five more reps!" Satch interjected loudly. Sephiroth bent his head lower, looking Cloud in the eye.

"And just because you _do_ have duty, doesn't mean you're going to get an easy workout," Sephiroth said challengingly. "If anything, it'll be one of your hardest."

"Bring it," Cloud returned, smirking. "_Sir_."

Oh, was that a _challenge_? Sephiroth felt his lips twitch into a smile once again. This Cloud Strife of Nibelheim, he was bit of an enigma. Weak in some ways, yet strong in spirit; shy and unassuming, yet cocky and challenging at times. He was a walking paradox.

Sephiroth was more than happy to 'bring it', as Cloud had so succinctly put it. "You may regret those words, SOLDIER Strife," Sephiroth murmured as he slid the weights onto the barbell, with Satch looking on.

"I….I can do it – " Cloud gasped, arms shaking madly as he forced the bar up, down, up, down. Sephiroth stood back, impressed for now, but waiting for that moment when Cloud would inevitably fail.

* * *

**Author's Note: And now we're finally getting somewhere! Thanks for hanging in there with me, I know this is a loooot of buildup, but I'm trying to establish the power play between Sephiroth and Cloud. It's not something that will happen overnight, but more of a slow burn that will build over time, until it grows into something much more.**

**The flashback sequence with Cissnei/Sephiroth was great fun to write. It's a little headcanon of mine that the two were childhood friends who part ways when Sephiroth goes into SOLDIER, and Cissnei starts training to be a Turk. **

**Next chapter will be started soon; we will see more of the war in Wutai, not to mention, Cloud's first duties as a Third Class SOLDIER. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for following along!**


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